Pale Blue
by Amarante95
Summary: "If I had to giver her up for any reason, though I don't even want to think about it, I would give her to you, Ji Hoo". What if Jun Pyo's wedding had proceeded as planned and Ji Hoo was given a second chance? Rating may go up in the future.
1. Chapter 1

"_Do you take this woman, Ha Jae Kyung, as your wife, in health and illness?"_

"_Yes, I do"_

"_Do you take this man, Goo Jun Pyo, as your husband, in happiness and sorrow?"_

"_... Yes, I do"_

Jan Di watched as he took his vows through a camcorder one of the guards was holding to her face. She felt her heart breaking to pieces as he said "I do" and kissed his new wife. Her knees were growing weak when a chloroform rag was held up to her face and the elevator's wood walls slipped from her vision, darkness descending upon her. As she fell to the ground in her long dress, the guards caught her and brought her to the assigned room.

**Ji Hoo**

As he sat in a white chair witnessing his best friend's marriage, the young man was torn between pity, sorrow and a strange sense of relief. He pitied his best friend from the bottom of his heart, and knew that Jan di was probably in such deep despair right now that his heart felt like it was breaking to pieces. He hated himself for feeling relieved; how could he be like this in such a tragic moment? As he struggled with his emotions, he heard President Kang's phone beep quietly. Looking to his side, it seemed as though his friends, and no one else besides him, had noticed. He leaned forward quietly as he saw a picture appear on the screen of her phone. His eyes widened when he saw that the picture was of Jan di. Furthermore, she seemed to be unconscious and was tied to a chair. The sentence under the photo simply said "12 2489". He could feel anger boiling inside of him, threatening to overthrow his calm and composed facade as he repeated those numbers in his head. They were clearly the floor and room number where they were keeping her. President Kang smiled and shut her phone off with a satisfied expression as Ji Hoo did everything he could to avoid dashing out of the chapel to go find Jan Di.

When the bride and groom had finally left the chapel and the ceremony was over, he ran out of the room, flipping over a vase of flowers in his haste. Yi Jung and WooBin looked after him with curious and worried expressions. Ji Hoo definitely seemed angry about something, which was a rare occurrence, luckily. When he was angry, they both knew, he was not someone be messed with. Again, they exchanged worried glances and left the chapel hastily.

How could he have been so stupid? Of course, he had unconsciously realized that Jan Di wasn't there, but he never though President Kang would go so far.

He ran down the hallways like his life depended on it. He had never cared for anyone like Jan Di, not even Seo Hyun, though he didn't want to admit it at first. He had given up Jan Di so Jun Pyo could have her, even though it broke his heart. He just wanted her to be happy, but still couldn't get over his feelings for her. There was always sadness when he noticed how she looked at Jun Pyo, and regretted leaving to France after Seo Hyun every day. If he hadn't left, he could have had a chance, he knew it. By the time he had come back, he was too late: she already loved someone else, though maybe she didn't realize it yet. Why had he been so stupid? Why did he leave her with... him.

Ji Hoo finally reached door 2489. As he caught his breath, he lightly knocked on the door. To his extreme surprise, it actually opened. He cautiously stepped inside, listening for even the slightest sound. As he walked into the large room, he noticed a small figure on the large bed.

It was Jan Di

He was filled with rage as he looked down upon the girl he loved; her pale blue dress was ripped down the side and there was a long cut down her left cheek. Her skin was deathly pale and her eyes closed. Blood trickled from her mouth, her hair was mussed and bruises were forming on her arms and legs. He fell to his knees next to her and gently lifted her up, carrying her out of the room. Her breath against his neck, though shallow, was warm and at regular intervals. As he looked down at her face, he was filled with the deepest hate. How could Joon Pyo have let something like this happen? He walked back out into the main reception hall, pressing the "up" button on the elevator.

5 floors... 4 floors... 3 floors. He waited impatiently till the doors finally slid open and-

Reviews are greatly appreciated! Please don't be too hard, this is my first fanfic ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

_How could Joon Pyo have let something like this happen? He walked back out into the main reception hall, pressing the "up" button on the elevator._

_5 floors... 4 floors... 3 floors. He waited impatiently till the doors finally slid open and-_

Joon Pyo walked out of the the spacious elevator. He stared at his friend, and then his eyes slid down to the girl he held in his arms. The only woman he would ever love lay bruised and bleeding in Ji Hoo's arms. Joon Pyo looked back up at Ji Hoo, his expression shocked and broken. "How..." before he could finish, Ji Hoo raised his spare hand and punched Joon Pyo in the face. The tall man collapsed to the marble floor. The tables had turned: he was the one who had always hurt Ji Hoo but now his friend's rage had reached the point where he could even inflict corporal damage: it was something that had never happened before. Ji Hoo slowly leaned down and whispered into his ear "Don't dare to come looking for her again... I swear, if you do.." His tone was so menacing and aggressive that Joon Pyo almost shuddered. Ji Hoo glared at him before walking into the elevator with Jan Di in his arms. As the golden doors closed, he spotted Yi Jung and WooBin in the reception hall, gaping at what they had just witnessed.

He finally reached the door of his own room, sliding the card and opening the door. He placed the injured girl on his bed and went to get some spare clothes from his small suit case. When he returned, he looked up at her figure sprawled across his bed and anger threatened to overcome him once again. He was never going to let her go again.

He slowly turned her over and unzipped her pale dress. He hesitated to take it off. Finally, he reasoned that it was so ripped changing her wouldn't be a big deal. He slipped the dress off of her unconscious figure and eased on a pair of his own pyjama pants. He did his best to keep from looking at her, but finally the urge overtook his efforts and he looked down at the beautiful girl in front of him. His eyes were taking in her every curve when he noticed a large cut on her side. It was still bleeding. He ran to the bathroom, wet a towel, and pressed it against the wound. If he wanted it to heal (which of course he did), he couldn't put a shirt on her, since it would cover the wound and not let it breathe. Plus, it was still bleeding a bit. He sighed. This was going to be a great test of self discipline.

Jan Di

The girl's eyes fluttered open as she finally woke up. Even before she opened her eyes, she knew that she lying on a spacious bed. She could feel a slight breeze across her face and, strangely, across her chest and stomach. It was then that she opened her eyes and realized that her shirt was gone and she was only wearing a bra.

She looked around the room in panic, until her eyes finally fell on the sleeping figure in the corner of the room. The relief that swam over her when she saw Ji Hoo only lasted a split second, because she remembered that her shirt was gone. Instinctively, she tried to get up to find something to cover herself with, but a sharp jolt of pain down her side made her fall back down, arching her back in pain and hissing through her teeth.

Ji Hoo

Ji Hoo's eyes shot open as he heard the rustling of fabric and Jan Di gasping in pain. He rushed forward as her back arched in pain. He wrapped his hands around her bare waist, gently raising her to a sitting position. Her soft skin felt cold, and he looked up at her face, worried. The two stared at each other, first worried, then embarrassed.

Jan Di

As two strong arms held her up, she looked into Ji Hoo's eyes. He stared back. She felt like she could fall into their depths. Finally, she broke free from her trance and it dawned on her: she had no shirt on and her sunbae was holding her in his arms. Her face turned beet red as he looked away and slowly put her down.

"You've slept quite a bit. Later you can check out your injuries on your own, ok? I had to leave your shirt off to let the cut on your side breathe" He paused and looked away for a second. 'Are you hungry?" JanDi smiled. He was always so concerned, so caring.. She nodded and he helped her get up again. As he steadied her, his hand accidentally grazed her chest. They both looked away, but in his head, Ji Hoo was desperately fighting with himself: apparently she had no clue how alluring she was.. He sighed aloud. He wouldn't be able to do this. When he had propped her up to a sitting position, he started unbuttoning his shirt. As he slid the white cuff shirt off his chest, JanDi's eyes widened: what was he doing? She took in the sight of his bare chest, muscular and perfectly proportioned. She was still staring when he looked back up. He grinned as he wrapped his shirt around her shoulders without a word: she looked up and nodded a thank you, not noticing that she had been caught staring.

"Do you think you can stand?"

His question interrupted her train of thought. She blushed a bit as she looked back at him, and nodded hesitantly. He offered her his hand and she took it, putting her weight on the leg that felt stronger. Slowly, they walked over to the large table where breakfast was set. He pulled her chair out while he continued to support her and lowered her down onto it. Then he gently pushed the chair in and went to sit across from her. She didn't notice his stare at all though: she was already grinning at the food. A large bowl of porridge with fresh blueberries was at the center of the tray. There was a glass of juice and fresh fruit on the sides, all arranged flawlessly. It looked delicious! She immediately began eating in her sloppy fashion, maybe a bit more well-mannered since Ji Hoo was there. She put the silver spoon back down on the napkin and picked up her glass of juice with both hands, taking a sip.

"So, how are you feeling?" Ji Hoo looked at her questioningly.

"I'm feeling a bit sore, especially my side" her hand instinctively slipped down to the wound on her side and she winced a bit. Ji Hoo looked worried but didn't say anything.

"I had a doctor come while you were asleep. He said you should rest for another week or so. After that, you can walk around a bit outside. I already contacted your parents, telling them you'll be staying at the hotel for a little longer.. They said it was fine"

JanDi frowned. Of course it was fine with her parents, as long as she married someone rich...

"Is there something wrong?" Ji Hoo looked at Jan Di. Her frown dissipated and she smiled at him.

"No, of course not! I'm fine with the arrangement. But won't the hotel be expensive? I don't know how I'll be able to pay-"

Ji Hoo silenced her with a perfect smile. "Don't worry about it, Jan Di: just rest up". He paused.

"Do you have to take a shower?"

She nodded.

"Here" he wrapped his hand around her waist and lifted a part of her weight so she could support herself on her weak legs. Then he slowly let go to see if she could stand on her own. She faltered a bit but then stood up straight. She did it! She smiled and took a hesitant step forward. She felt like a baby learning how to walk. Ji Hoo smiled as he watched. He was also relieved that she could walk a bit, so he wouldn't have to help her in the shower or anything. That would be going a bit too far...

JanDi reached the bathroom door and looked back at him, laughing. He smiled back at her. Unknown to them, each was admiring the other, examining each other's features and perfect smiles. JanDi turned around still smiling, and with one last look in Ji Hoo's direction, she closed the door

Ji Hoo

As she closed the door still smiling, Ji Hoo continued looking forward, even though she was no longer there. He still couldn't believe how awful President Kang had been and how careless his best friend had been. He didn't do anything to go against the marriage, and didn't bother taking care that JanDi stay far away from his mother. He wondered if Jun Pyo would try to keep his relationship with her even though he was now married. Ji Hoo smiled. Of course he would: he didn't love his wife and probably never would, because he had eyes only for JanDi. His fists clenched as he though of another wound being inflicted upon JanDi: her, being accused of cheating with a married man, the press, scandals, publicity... Enough was enough. He had entrusted Jun Pyo with the woman they both loved because he thought they would have been both happier, but it could no longer go on. JunPyo was a married man now, and Ji Hoo wouldn't let him hurt that girl any more. He would protect her and look out for her from now on. He would always be there for her, even if she didn't want him, because he loved her.

He jumped as the shower was turned on, the gentle splashing bringing him back from his reverie. He grabbed a book of the night-stand and pulled the armchair closer to the bathroom door, just in case anything happened while JanDi was in the bathroom...

He carefully listened for any unnatural noises until the water shut off. He rose from his armchair and was walking towards another room so JanDi could get the things she needed when the door suddenly clicked and opened...


	3. Chapter 3

_He rose from his armchair and was walking towards another room so JanDi could get the things she needed when the door suddenly clicked open..._

And JanDi slowly stepped out of the door in a fluffy white towel. Her eyes were closed as she ruffled her now longer, wet hair, running her fingers through it with a calm expression. Ji Hoo froze on the spot, staring at JanDi. His eyes trailed up her long, lean legs to the edge of the towel and over her neck and upper chest as she slowly opened her eyes. They widened with shock when she say that Ji Hoo was still in the room, standing right in front of her. Her grasp on the white towel tightened as she stepped backwards but felt her foot slip and her upper body falling backwards. Before she had time to realize what was happening, Ji Hoo had all ready rushed forward and caught her. He placed her in the armchair he had occupied just moments ago, his hands gliding along the back of her firm thighs and towel-covered back as he sat her down. She shivered as the warm trail of his fingers made her spine tingle and she looked away, embarrassed. Ji Hoo looked away impassively, but little did JanDi know that he was just as flustered as her

.

After an awkward moment of silence, Ji Hoo looked back at JanDi. "I have to take care of a few matters, but I'll be back around 5" her eyes trailed to the clock near the bed; 11:02. "Is there anything you need?" JanDi nodded no, and Ji Hoo smiled at her as he leaned forward to ruffle her wet hair. He walked off to the door and grabbed his coat, giving her one last, kind look as he closed the door.

Jan Di

JanDi lightly punched her head with embarrassment: how could she always be so clumsy? She closed her eyes to calm herself, and then began to stand up slowly. She opened her suitcase and pulled out fresh undergarments, sweatpants, and a spaghetti-strap shirt: she would have gotten pyjama pants, but she just remembered she had forgot them at home in the wash. Only after closing it back up did she realize that Ji Hoo probably had specifically got it for her while she was sleeping: she smiled thoughtfully. She made her way back to the bathroom to get dressed, just in case a maid or someone came in. She slipped her clothes back on while minutely inspecting the various cuts, bruises and scratches that covered her body, and took advantage of the nearby blow-dryer to dry her hair: letting it air-dry always left her neck stiff. She picked up her brush form the pile of things she had brought to the bathroom and ran it through her knotted, black hair. She had let it grow out a bit, and it now reached a bit past her shoulders. She gathered up all her things, hanging up her towels to dry and rearranging the soap bottles she had used. She knew the cleaners would take care of everything anyway, but it was a habit that was hard to break. Finally, she opened the bathroom door and slowly stepped out just in time to hear the front door click. During the half hour she had been in the bathroom, the maids had apparently passed by, changing the bed linen and putting everything in order again. JanDi walked over to the bed, noticing something cream-colored contrasting with the pure white pillowcase. She picked up a silk pair of pyjama pants which had been left on her pillow and smiled as she ran her hands over the smooth fabric. She made her way back to he bathroom and changed into her new pants, folding her sweat pants and stuffing them back into her suitcase. They were so soft! Suddenly, something else caught her attention. She followed her nose towards the table where she had had breakfast before. A new tray had taken the place of the previous ones, a delectable odor wafting from it: it must be some foreign dish, she thought as she examined it. It was definitely meat, but it was surrounded in sauces and vegetables she didn't recognize. She sat down anyway and looked at her food adventurously and went to pick up her knife when she noticed a small piece of paper near the clear vase of a singe red rose. She picked it up with a curious expression, and opened it. Inside, the note read:

"_I know it hasn't been long since breakfast, but I'm guessing that you won't mind and early lunch. I'll try to be back sooner than planned. In the meantime, rest up. -Ji Hoo"_

JanDi smiled and put the note back where it was. He was really so caring, so sweet...

She picked the knife back up and cut a piece of meat, sniffing it before plopping it into her mouth. Her eyes widened: it was delicious! She quickly finished everything else, slumping into her chair with a content smile. She then stood up and slowly walked back over to the bed. As she sat down, she winced as a shot of pain ran up her leg: she had probably been walking around a bit more than she was supposed to.. Propping herself up with pillows, she leaned back to a sitting position, turning towards the large window on her left. Grey clouds had been gathering while she ate and the first rain drops were beginning to slide down the large glass pane. Everything was so quiet...

Her thoughts slowly trailed back to the wedding. How long ago had it been? Hours? Days? She didn't know anymore.. She remembered waking up while being brought to a bedroom and roughly thrown onto a large bed, closing her eyes as a multitude of hands hit, pinched and beat her. Someone wrapped their hands around her hair and pulled her head back, forcing her teary eyes open. She saw a glimpse of silver and then felt searing pain across her side and then her cheek. Terrified, she closed her eyes again, only to catch the smell of chloroform nearing her face again. She didn't even struggle as the cloth covered her mouth because her body was frozen with fear. She slid out of consciousness slowly, as she heard the room's door rebound as it hit the lock, closed but open at the same time. Finally, everything had gone black. She shook her head to rid herself of the frightening memory. If she had been careful, none of this would have happened...

Tears began to pool in her eyes as she remembered the video the guards had made her watch. Now Jun Pyo was forever out of her grasp. As she thought back to everything that had happened she began questioning herself: had he ever really loved her? She was sure he had, but now even her most firm beliefs seemed to be standing on weak foundations. Though he had always treated her rudely, his indirect acts of kindness had touched her. She had found herself falling for the man who she had vowed to hate, and was frightened. Finally, she had succumbed to his wishes and they had began dating for real. She was positive that he cared for her, and still thought that when she had left for Macau. She had tried to hold on to that hope even after he had purposely ignored her in a club, but all those hopes had dissolved when she finally spoke to him. Though she came to know later that he had been forced to say those awful words, they had still left a mark on her. Now that he was gone, never to come back, she could almost see some truth in them, even though she knew that he had tried everything to convince her that what he had said was fabricated. Logically, she knew that he was indeed right and his mom, no, President Kang had made him say those things, but he had left her for his business, and heart was making her accept those words as a verbal translation of his actions, his following-through with the wedding. His wedding kiss flashed back into her head and her tears finally overflowed, running down her cheeks like the rain down the window pane. Her frame shook with the force of her quiet sobs as she brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them and hiding her face in them as she kept crying. She lost track of time as she sat there crying, some of her whimpers drowned in the sounds of the beating rain. A low ruble sounded in the distance. How much time had gone by? She didn't know, and didn't care right now. Her eyes were still buried in her knees when she felt a gentle hand run through her hair down to the side of her neck. Another hand cupped the other side of her neck and gently raised her head. As she opened her glassy eyes, she found herself staring into the depth of Ji Hoo's dark eyes.

Ji Hoo

Ji Hoo sighed as he strode into the reception hall. He really hadn't wanted to leave JanDi alone at such a time, but business had required him to. Before leaving, he had made sure that JanDi's lunch would be served in about one hours' time, along with a general cleanup of the room. He had also requested that she be given a pair of pants to lounge around in. For all he knew, she might have brought her own, but hadn't thought of asking her, and certainly didn't think it was suitable to find out for himself by rummaging around through her things. After a couple meetings and urgent calls, he made his way back to the hotel. A few hours had passed in the meantime, and the sun had set: it had started raining a while ago, while he drove back. Though he hated driving, he hated being driven even more. It was almost as though he couldn't trust anyone but himself to do it: even when Seo Hyun was still around, he was always the one who drove, though she offered every time...

The elevator's shrill bell brought him back from his thoughts, signalling that he had reached the right floor. He stepped out through the golden doors, following the hall down to his room. He had signed JanDi out from her room and moved her things to his. It was more spacious, and he wanted to make sure anything she needed was covered. If she went back to her own room, she would probably spent days wallowing in despair, doing nothing...

He slid the card through the door and a small light silently flashed green. He pulled the heavy door open and it closed without a sound. As he slid his coat and shoes off, adjusting the heat, he listened for any sounds. Maybe she was sleeping... He peeked around the door frame to find her huddled up on the bed. Every now and then, her body would jolt a little bit and soft sobbing could be heard: she was crying. Though he wasn't surprised with what he saw, Ji Hoo felt his body become rigid with anger. His thoughts trailed back to Jun Pyo. As he looked at JanDi, her frame wracked with sobs, he couldn't help but hate his friend for causing her this pain: she didn't deserve it, ever. He found himself silently walking towards her, and his hand extended to rest upon the side of her head. It slid down to her neck, and his other hand rested upon the other side of her neck, slowly raising her head to look at him. Her eyes were red from crying: as she opened them to look up into his eyes, he could feel his own heart breaking because of her sadness. Almost instinctively, JanDi straightened her legs and leaned forward onto his shoulder, her face turned towards his neck. His hands slid down and wrapped themselves around her protectively as she cried, running along her back comfortingly. They stayed there a long time, until Ji Hoo felt her sobbing subdue and the grip on his shirt loosen. He looked down to see her closed eyelids: she had fallen asleep. He gently picked her up, laying her back down under the covers and raising the up to her neck. He lightly moved the hair from her eyes as he kneeled near the bed, and stopped to look at her face. As his eyes ran across her perfect features, his emotions got the better of him and he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her pale cheek. His lips lingered for a few moments, before he pulled away, stroking her cheek with his thumb. After one last glance, he got up to his feet slowly and was turning around when he heard her voice.

"Thank...you.. Ji Hoo.. sunbae..." she whispered in her sleep, a smile flitting across her face.

His expression, first shocked, now set in an affectionate smile as he padded off towards the beige sofa with a white blanket. Going back to his suitcase to retrieve a pair of pyjamas, he found the pair he had changed JanDi into previously folded neatly on top. He grinned as he picked them up and headed off towards the bathroom. When he was done, he opened the door and slowly closed the door as to not wake the sleeping girl. He folded his clothes and put them back in his suitcase, drawing the curtains and flipping the lights off as he made his way back to the couch, lying down and drawing the cover over his bare chest. He gazed over to the bed where JanDi lay asleep, and found himself smiling:there was something indescribable about her which made him happy every time he saw her. His eyes slowly closed as the smile still lingered on his lips. Soon, both of them were asleep.


End file.
